Principal who lost his job after helping homeless student says he has no regrets

After 31 years in education, one decision cost Rob Burnside the job he loved the most.

I was told that the district did not believe that I could go back into the building and be an effective leader, and I was given the option of stepping down or going through the process of being terminated.

His offense?He let a homeless teenager stay in school despite his unenrollment.To understand why, you have to go back years earlier to a hallway and a principal who wore goofy pants on Friday just to get the kids to talk to him.

First time I met him is when I seen him in the hallway and I was like, what's up, Mr Burns that he he just dropped everything, smiled at me and he was like, what's up, Didi?

That was Rob, principal of Lakota East High School in Ohio and Darius Hayes, also known as Didi.was just another kid who said hi in the hallway.

Where were your parents?So my mom, I couldn't live with her because it wasn't really safe to live with her.My dad, he had some issues going on because sometimes it'd be cold in a mobile home, so I'd just be sleeping in the car with the heat on.

During Didi's junior year in high school, that private struggle became public.A letter arrived saying that Didi's mom had a new address and because it was outside of the district, he had to withdraw from that school.Now, most principals would have processed the paperwork and moved on.But Rob started asking questions instead, and he says the district's answer was no.

He can't be here.

He doesn't have a parent who has an address.

The parent resides elsewhere.He needs to go where the parent is.

So Rob went home and told his wife, Angel.The first words out of her mouth, well, he can come stay with us if he needs to.It wasn't the first time Rob and Angel had been separated.two children.And with Dee Dee's mother's blessing, they made the offer.

We said, God, if this is your will for this young man to be in our home, make it clear.And like five minutes later, my phone buzzes.And I look at it, and it's a message from him.Hey, Mr. Burnside.And I grab it, and I look at my wife and say, I think we just got our answer.and he's been in our house since then.

Deedee had a home, but he'd been withdrawn from the school.Rob let him keep going anyway, and it cost him his job.

Then I was given a letter putting me on leave.I made the decision that was better for my family.

I was telling him, like, I could just go down there to my mom's house.I don't want you to lose your job.Like, them kids need you.And the words came out of his mouth, no, you're going to stay with me. I remember my exact words, you know, Didi, you're part of this family.

You know, we're not going to turn our back on you.And, you know, and we hugged.

The Burnside's became Didi's legal guardians.Feeling safe now meant looking back at how unsafe he once was.How do you feel when you talk about that?

When I think about it now, it's like, I don't know how I'm here.I just don't know.At first, I was in a cool car, barely eating.barely getting to school, just trying to be a good person.And now, it's just either now or never.Being a kid, every time when I think about it, it's just...

wow, how did I do it?

For Rob, the price is still being paid.No one will hire him as a principal in the area.If you had to do it again, would you do the same thing?

Yes, and no regrets.No, no, because what value can be put on the life of a young person?

Didi's goal now is to become an aviation mechanic, and he's working towards it while he waits.This past May, Dee Dee walked across the stage and graduated from a different high school.And in the stands watching him do it were the people he now calls Pops and Ma, Rob and Angel.His guardians, but really his guardian angels.

and Angel Burnside have six adult children, and now with Dede, there are seven.Dede says they all call each other brother and sister.He is very much a part of the Burnside family.

David, did we understand that correctly?Nobody will still hire him as a principal?I don't understand this.

Yeah, he said it's been a bit of a disappointing black eye in the area.He says the story has gotten around and a lot of people didn't know the full details.So hopefully after this story, they now do.But he would very much like to be back in that principal's role.

Because aren't those the type of people, guys, that you want as a principal?

Isn't that what you want?Too many rules, not enough sense.

Yes, Major.

I mean, I understand the rules.

Yes.

But I understand the common sense.A common sense of emotional outreach to a young man.Yeah.

who needs, and turning his life around?Especially when you hear him say, I'm just being a kid again, which means he never had a childhood dealing with what he's dealing with.David, thank you so much for joining us.man.Gotta be tearing up this early in the morning.All right, check out the newest edition of David's Podcast.

The person who believed in me this week is singer -songwriter Tori Kelly.